


You Know the Way to My Heart

by Melawen_C



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Food, M/M, Oblivious Derek, Post 3a
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 10:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/990699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melawen_C/pseuds/Melawen_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They don't really mean to start eating together and spending so much time together; it just sort of happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Know the Way to My Heart

The first time they have dinner together, it’s not even planned.

Derek swings by Stiles’ house to help with some research and finds Stiles in the kitchen. Stiles is already making himself a plate of leftover casserole and he just makes one for Derek, too. Derek is hungry so he doesn’t object.

It's not as weird as it should be, really. He’s more accustomed to spending time with Stiles when Scott’s around (Scott is his alpha now, after all). He's used to hearing them ramble on in that 'best friend shorthand' they've perfected, but Stiles talks enough for both of them here and Derek finds he doesn’t mind at all. 

He just happens to have half a pizza sitting on the table the next time Stiles and Scott drop by and he barely finishes the offer before Stiles has a slice in each hand, grinning happily around a big bite and mumbling about pizza being the eighth wonder of the world. He settles himself next to Derek and rolls his eyes when Derek hands him a paper towel and tells him not to make a mess. However, he actually agrees with Derek’s plan to deal with their latest threat, so Derek considers it a win.

Scott whispers conspiratorially that food has always been the easiest way to persuade him to cooperate and Stiles just shrugs, unashamed.

A week or so later, Derek goes over prepared to bargain for the use of Stiles’ computer skills. Stiles is so happy with the fries that he even shares some with Derek, who’s settled on the floor by his bed. 

Soon, they're arguing over take-out menus and whose turn it is to decide. Derek likes to suggest that they arm-wrestle for it just to see Stiles glare at him. They end up flipping a coin and Stiles does a victorious fist pump when it land on heads for the second time that week. He makes sure he asks for extra duck sauce though, since he knows Derek won't eat egg rolls without it.

Derek usually doesn’t object to whatever Stiles picks, but he always tells him no Thai food, until one day Stiles bugs him so much about it that he snaps, yelling that it was Laura's favorite and he just doesn’t _want_ it, okay?! 

Stiles stands there in shock, for a moment, until Derek finally exhales. Stiles presses a hand to his shoulder and tells him it’s okay, of course they’ll get something else, and he didn’t know, he's sorry, he’s really sorry. It's the first time in a while that anyone has said that to him and he nods, because he doesn't know what to say. Stiles lets his hand linger on Derek’s arm for a moment and it’s strange to him how comforting that simple touch actually is.

The next time they’re together, Derek learns that Stiles’ mom used to make the best omelets and Stiles still tries to make them himself but he's really shit at it. He brags about his dad's pancakes though and by the time he's done telling Derek the story behind why he and Scott are banned from helping the sheriff cook breakfast, Derek is laughing harder than he has in a long time. 

Stiles’ cheeks are flushed and his eyes are bright and animated and Derek’s heart trips and stutters a moment as he realizes that this kid has gotten so deep under his skin that he has no idea what he should do.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Derek’s phone buzzes on a Saturday afternoon.

_I'm hungry._

He rolls his eyes. _So eat something._

_Nothing here._

_Nothing, really? There's no food at all in your house?_

_Ok smart wolf, you knew what I meant. :P_

Derek rolls his eyes; he can’t help but smile. It's a couple minutes later before Stiles asks, _you hungry?_

_I could eat._

_Awesome. Don't go anywhere, I'll be there soon. :)_

He's not expecting Stiles to show up with grocery bags. 

“I wasn't sure what you had, so I just brought everything. You like lasagna, right?”

Derek does.

“Good!” Stiles grins happily, already digging in the cabinets and drawers for dishes and utensils.

“There's nothing going on this weekend,” he’s saying, “Scott and Isaac are off visiting that other pack and my dad's working an extra shift tonight. I'm _bored,_ man.”

“Well, we can't have that,” Derek says, deadpan.

Stiles stops suddenly and frowns. “This is okay, right? I mean, your oven works and everything?” 

Derek lets out an exasperated sigh. “I'm a werewolf, not a caveman. Also, you’ve eaten here before, a lot.”

Stiles gives him a look. “Yeah, but I’ve never cooked here before. Never cooked anywhere really, besides my house and Scott’s… And dude you, like, lived in a creepy abandoned train car. Don't get all high and mighty with me.”

He pokes at Derek’s chest and Derek swats him on the shoulder, but Stiles just dances away, grinning.

Derek cooks for himself sometimes but it's nothing like this. The smell alone is enough to have him salivating. (That’s what he tells himself. There’s no way it could be the absolute competency of Stiles’ hands as he works, or the playful way he keeps bumping Derek’s hip with his own.)

During dinner, he tells Stiles at least three times how amazing it tastes… because it’s true, not just because he likes the way Stiles blushes at the compliment. It takes all of his self-control not to move closer, not to touch. It's incredible to him how much he _wants_ to.

After they’ve eaten, Stiles gets a text from Scott saying they’re back early.

“Hey! They’re going to see that new alien invasion movie. I can’t decide if it’s gonna be terrible or awesome. Smart money's on both... Wanna come?”

He’s practically bouncing from one foot to the other, expectantly, and Derek suddenly feels like a fool because of course Stiles wants to go out; he doesn’t want to be here.

“No, I, um… I’m tired. You go ahead.” 

“Oh,” Stiles says, tentatively. “We could wait and go tomorrow, if you want?”

He can hear the hesitancy in his heartbeat, like a twinge of disappointment, and Derek doesn’t want to be the one keeping him from having fun with his friends.

“You’ve been talking about this movie all week,” Derek says, giving him a gentle push toward the door, “it’s fine. Besides, I should clean up here.” 

He gives Stiles what he hopes looks like a genuine smile.

Stiles frowns at him as he leaves, but he doesn’t say anything. 

Derek thinks about texting him later to say thanks for dinner. He types the words and erases them at least five times before he eventually gives up.

He gets a text from Scott later saying, _you should’ve come out tonight._

Derek can’t tell if Scott is saying that as his alpha or his friend. Either way, he feels like he’s missed something.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He doesn’t hear anything from Stiles in the next couple days, except for a message on his phone.

_So I know we’re supposed to have dinner tonight, but I’m kinda in the middle of something. I wasn’t planning on it, but I just-_

_“Come on, Stiles,”_ Derek can hear in the background, _“hurry up!”_

He doesn't recognize the girl’s voice.

 _Sorry,_ Stiles continues, _I gotta go, but I’ll call you later and maybe we-_

Derek deletes the message before he hears any more. He leaves his phone on the counter and goes for a run, a long run. 

When he gets back, Stiles is pacing in front of his door, looking tired and frustrated.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for hours, Derek, what the hell? I thought something was wrong.”

“I didn't want to bother you on your date.” Derek says nonchalantly, like the thought of Stiles out with this girl hasn’t been driving him mad all this time.

“It wasn’t a date,” Stiles says, frowning. 

“It sounded like a date,” Derek mutters, brushing past him and going inside. He can feel how confused Stiles is as he follows him. 

“Why would I…? I was helping her out because she doesn’t have a car and her mom’s been sick lately. Did you even _listen_ to my message? Besides, she’s not my type,” he snaps. “I’m apparently into the more brooding, jealous, completely oblivious ones.”

Derek turns to see Stiles with his arms crossed, glaring at him.

“Oh,” he finally manages, feeling like the idiot Stiles apparently thinks he is.

“ _Oh_ is right. You know what sounds like a date? Cooking a guy dinner at his house!”

“You said you were bored,” Derek shoots back. “You were so eager to leave and go to the movies,” he complains, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“With _you,_ you giant dork!” Stiles says incredulously, stepping closer. “I wanted to sit by you and fight over the armrest and throw popcorn at you and touch you, _god,_ I wanted any excuse to _touch_ you-”

Derek swallows the rest of his words, cupping Stiles’ face in his hands. He kisses him until he can hardly breathe and Stiles is making these quiet, desperate noises against his mouth, arms wrapped tightly around him.

“I wanted,” Derek murmurs between kisses, “I did, but I thought, and you're...”

He knows he's not making sense but he can't focus, distracted by the way Stiles’ breath catches. He licks along his neck, loving how his pulse quickens, how his hands tighten on Derek’s hips. 

“I’m so freakin’ crazy about you,” Stiles groans, “I told you the only other people I've ever cooked for are my dad and Scott. So if you can't figure out what being in the same category as them means, then I might have to get it tattooed across my forehead because I swear-”

 _“Stiles,”_ he groans, pressing his face to Stiles’ neck and breathing deeply. Stiles sighs contentedly, leaning into the touch. It’s incredible, being this close, it’s almost too much… but something’s not quite right.

“I can smell her on you,” Derek growls.

Stiles smirks. 

“Then why don’t you get me out of these clothes?” 

Derek has no qualms with that solution.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sometimes Stiles makes horrible meals because he wants to experiment with whatever weird ingredients he’s pulled from the back of the cabinets. Sometimes Derek bakes cookies just because he likes the way Stiles licks the batter off his fingers. Sometimes they still disagree about what to eat…

After Derek has turned down every one of his suggestions one night, Stiles finally throws up his hands in defeat. 

“Fine, then what’s your idea?”

Derek gives him a mischievous grin.

“I was thinking...” he begins, pressing himself close to whisper exactly what he wants in Stiles’ ear.

“Yeah,” Stiles breathes, “I could definitely go for that.”

Sometimes they don’t make it to dinner at all.

~

~

~

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://so-runs-my-dream.tumblr.com/)


End file.
